Server Version#: 4.145.1
Player Version#: 2025.11.1
Downloads are a huge part of Plex for me because I have a long commute with spotty internet. I used to download media without a problem. In the new app, every time I try to download a movie I get a “Decision Error”. It says “Unable to determine whether this item needs to be transcoded before downloading.”
I can either remove the download or re-add to the queue… which immediately gives the same error. It does not, notably, tell me how to help it make this ‘decision’ so I have no idea how to even try to fix it.
I’ve made no other changes except updating the Plex iOS app. Very frustrating.
I agree, I’ve been a Plex pass lifetime member for years, and the most recent update has broken one of the most important features from my perspective. When will we get the ability to download entire seasons back?
I also found this Download Season feature missing from the iOS app 2025.12.0. Removing features like this in am app release and not sharing a clear roadmap with Lifetime Members is a poor experience.
I also noticed there are no downloaded indicators shown when individual episodes (the only way to download at this time) are completed. Looking at the shows in the app you have to remember what you downloaded and what you did not. Another missing feature important to managing downloaded media.
Having an easy to access list of known features not included in a specific release along with confirmation they are being included in a specific release / timeframe allows customers to answer their own questions and does not drive us to your forum to search for what happened to create posts like this.
This can happen if there are multiple source files for the same film/show and one of them is missing because you moved the file location and rescanned resulting in the new location being added but the old location not being removed.
Simply clearing trash might fix this, I don’t know because I’m still in the process of converting my server from windows to Linux, but you can fix it file by file if you go to the file in question. If this is your problem, you will see there is a “missing” marker over the file. When you click on missing label (or the … and then ‘Get Info’), there will be a list of sources for that media. Some of them will be marked missing. Simply delete the missing files and you will be able to transcode again.
This appears to be somewhat random in nature, as I was previously able to download the same video at least once, then tried to switch qualities, and couldn’t the second time around. But deleting the missing source file path fixed it.
Sadly this isn’t the case for me. Even a file I just added yesterday with a single source file won’t download. I still cannot download a single thing to the Plex app on iOS. Super frustrating.
Same here, server 4.146.0, iOS client 2025.20.0. It will transcode and download based on the download quality on the client. But if I choose to optimise to mobile, then choose download I get Decision Error.
